Keller ISD may not be splitting, but area lawmakers still want a vote on future divides
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Keller school district kills plans for split
The Keller school district has abandoned plans to split the district, citing high costs of dividing district debt.
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The Keller school board isn’t moving forward with a plan to split the district in half, but North Texas lawmakers still want to ensure the public has a say in future divides.
The proposal would have cut the district in half along U.S. 377, creating what has been nicknamed the “Alliance Independent School District” in far north Fort Worth. The idea drew an outpouring of opposition from residents. Some local officials also spoke out against the plan, including State Rep. Nate Schatzline, a Fort Worth Republican, whose legislative district includes the Keller school district.
He praised the district’s March 14 announcement that it is abandoning the proposed split.
“I’m incredibly grateful that Keller ISD is doing the right thing here and is putting students first, because I believe that splitting the district is not in the best interest of the students,” Schatzline said.
As the district mulled a split, there was debate over whether state law allows a district to divide — a process called detachment — without taking the proposal to a vote.
Texas Rep. David Lowe, a North Richland Hills Republican whose district includes part of the Keller school district, filed a bill on March 10 requiring that the decision be left up to registered voters.
State Rep. Charlie Geren, a Fort Worth Republican, will now carry the corresponding legislation. Geren, a more senior member of the Tarrant County delegation, filed a bill identical to Lowe’s bill on March 13. March 14 is the deadline for lawmakers to file bills.
“I’m glad that they are pausing the pursuit of splitting,” Lowe said. “We want to ensure that there is a bill that adds clarity to the process, so we are still going to pursue our legislation.”
Geren did not immediately return a request for comment.
Schatzline said he will sign on as a co-author of the legislation. The bill needs to be passed to ensure that people have the right to vote on a split, he said. The legislation would make sure a community is in support of a detachment before such a massive decision is made, he said.
“There are scenarios in which diving a district can be beneficial to a community,” Schatzline said. “In the case of Keller ISD, I do not believe that is the case. However, we want to create an avenue where if the community feels like they’re not being properly represented, they can divide and they can create a new school district when it’s absolutely necessary.”
School board President Charles Randklev and interim superintendent Cory Wilson announced that the district is not moving forward with a split in an email. They said the district lacks the resources to continue the plan due to the “tens of millions in additional funding” that it would take to distribute $700 million worth of bond debt among the two districts.”
Lowe, who said he first found out about the plan through constituents, attributed the halting of the proposed split to “a culmination of public outcry, legislation and lawsuits being filed.”
School districts as a whole have been reckless when it comes to bond debt, Lowe said, noting that he’s filed a bill that would require a two-third majority vote in order to pass future bonds.
Schatzline said he’s grateful for the parents who spoke out about their disagreement, sharing their thoughts on how the plan could impact property values and the school district. Schatzline said he’s also grateful to the school board for listening and responding “the right way.”
North Fort Worth does not want the Keller ISD split, he said.
“We love our school board and we love our school district, and so I’m excited that this split is not going to happen.”
Staff writer Matthew Adams contributed to this report.
This story was originally published March 14, 2025 at 6:19 PM.
